


A Mind At Work

by Gabethebabe



Category: Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Gen, Maria ships dalek and likes science and that's all you really need to know, Original Character(s), prepare for trouble...and make it double
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 05:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8151281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabethebabe/pseuds/Gabethebabe
Summary: “Aye, uh, sorry to cut your moment short but we should probably head on back before the boffin chews my arse- er, sorry Maria,- bites my head off for dawdling so much.” Maria found the sky sailor’s colorful language to be most entertaining, especially when he slipped up around her, but she found it even more entertaining to fake indignance (something the Scottish boy always managed to see right through). “I suppose I can find it in me to give to forgive both your heartlessness and your cursing. Just this once though, Mister Sharp.” The Midshipman cracked a smirk and winked at her in a most scandalous manner (something that, had Volger found out about, he would surely attempt to throw the boy off of the whale himself). “My endless thanks, your princessliness.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> an opened ended ficlet for a canon-divergent au that I like to think about from time to time
> 
> Maria Ferdinand is the love of my life, and my brain child. I have to give a huge (HUGE) shout out to theladtsherlock.tumblr.com for helping me flesh her out.

She was sprawled out over her bunk, trying her hardest to ignore the pungent smell of almonds and digest that seemed to seep into absolutely everything on The  _ Leviathan  _ when she heard a knock at the door. She didn’t look up at first- expecting it to be someone looking for her makeshift roommate and babysitter Barlow- and instead continued to read over of the biology books she had snagged from the woman’s shelf. She was  _ utterly fascinated _ by it all: the way the human body could work so right and perfectly, not unlike the machines she and her brother had been trained on their whole lives. It was, as her brother’s new friend would say, _ barking mad.  _ She loved it, and  even more than that, she loved all the potential she saw for combining clanker mechanisms and darwinist creations. Of course nothing like this had been attempted yet (outside of the  _ Leviathan _ ), and of course she had yet to learn the specific science to make it happen, but the potential was there and all she had to do was- 

 

Another knock at her room’s door disrupted her from her thoughts. Maria sent a quick glare around the room in search of Barlow.  _ Surely the woman doesn’t expect me, a Princess and someone above her station, to be her personal maid just because I am her roommate.  _ She found herself thinking as she looked about the stuffy cabin. When no evidence of Barlow was to be found she let out a rather unladylike  _ “humph”  _ and got up to answer the door. She prayed it that it was not Volger waiting on the other side of the door. God only knows what the man would do if he found out that Dr. Barlow had left her, the only other female on the ship, alone. A third knock sounded off, vibrating against her nerves. 

 

The fourth knock came just as she opened the door, leaving the knocker, her twin brother Aleksander, standing frozen with his hand awkwardly in the air. His cheeks colored at the display, something  _ very  _ uncharacteristic for him, and he quickly dropped his hand. Someone shifted by his side, just in the corner of her eye, and caught her attention. She looked over to see Midshipman Sharp standing at her brother’s side.  _ That would explain the awkwardness.  _ She bit back a slight laugh, as well as the erg to pick on her brother for his- what she could only describe as a- little crush. 

 

“Maria,” He greeted with a warm smile. They never needed any words to communicate- which is how she knew exactly what he was thinking before he could say it. The oil on his hands, his tired eyes, and the slight worry that had begun to eat away at his features. “I do hate to interrupt you, but I need a favor.” 

 

“Yes,” She replied, both in greeting and in response. “This is about the engines, or so I presume”

 

“Klopp is getting older by the day it seems, and there is only so much that three men can do.” He explained, though surely he knew as well as she did that she did not need him too. They were twins; they knew each other like they knew their own minds. “It will take months, at least, to train the Darwinist Sailors on how to operate the engines themselves.” 

 

“I understand, Aleksander.” Maria replied, elated. She hoped her voice did not give away how secretly, truly, happy she was to be working on the engines instead of sitting around locked in a room all day. 

 

“Excellent.” Alek leaned in to hug her, something else somewhat uncharacteristic. She returned it tightly and risked a quick glance at the Midshipman. 

 

Midshipman Sharp had been staring at her brother in a rather intense, even intimate, way, and once he noticed Maria looking at him with mirth shining in her eyes, he was quick to look away. “Aye, uh, sorry to cut your moment short but we should probably head on back before the boffin chews my arse- er, sorry Maria,- bites my head off for dawdling so much.” 

 

Maria found the sky sailor’s colorful language to be most entertaining, especially when he slipped up around her, but she found it even more entertaining to fake indignance (something the Scottish boy always managed to see right through). “I suppose I can find it in me to give to forgive both your heartlessness and your cursing. Just this once though, Mister Sharp.” 

 

The Midshipman cracked a smirk and winked at her in a most scandalous manner (something that, had Volger found out about, he would surely attempt to throw the boy off of the whale himself). “My endless thanks, your princessliness.”

 

Maria laughed lightly. She was about to make another witty reply when her brother- whose features, she noted, were colored with an emotion she had yet to see on him- cut her off. “Ja, well, Dylan and I should head back. Like he said.” 

 

_ Jealousy. Really Aleksander? Don’t you know me at all?  _

 

She smiled at her brother; mainly she smiled at all the ways he had changed in the past two days. Alek saw her smile and quirked an eyebrow. She responded with another soft smile and a nod in the direction of the Midshipman. Alek titled his head to the side and squinted his eyes ever so slightly. It was obvious to Maria that her meaning had been lost in translation. Pitty. “Have a nice afternoon brother.” She leaned forward and gave him a familial peck on the cheek. She then nodded at Mr. Sharp “Travel smartly now, Midshipman Sharp.” 

 

“Your princessliness.” He bowed, another scandalous smirk splitting across his face. 

 

Aleksander looked between his friend and sister once more before, not so subtly, grabbing the blonde’s hand and starting back towards the engine room. As they departed he let out a rather casual over his shoulder. “Auf wiedersehen, schwester.”  

  
Maria shook her head and watched him and the Midshipman walk off hand-in-hand. Maybe biology wasn’t the only thing “barking” fascinating thing she would find on the  _ Leviathan. _

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t you just love her? I know I do. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful day <3


End file.
